Marquis Flowers, Jason McCourty could be tough cuts for Patriots

By Mark DanielsThe Providence Journal

Wednesday

Aug 29, 2018 at 7:09 PMAug 29, 2018 at 7:09 PM

FOXBORO — The Patriots will make some dreams come true on Saturday when they finalize their 53-man roster. The team started at 90 this summer and has already started to chip away. They’re currently at 86 heading into the final preseason game.

Bill Belichick and his staff have some tough decisions to make. Like always, there will be some surprise cuts and some surprise players who make the team.

Here’s a look at what the Patriots could do.

Quarterback

Tom Brady; Brian Hoyer

Danny Etling didn’t get a lot of playing time in the first three preseason games. The Patriots might be able to slip him onto the practice squad. They should be set — for this year, at least — at this position with Brady and Hoyer. They’ll need to add another quarterback in next year’s draft.

Running back

Rex Burkhead; James White; Sony Michel; Jeremy Hill

Mike Gillislee had a tough summer and appears to be behind Hill. His roster spot could be tied to the health of Michel (knee) and Burkhead (knee). The Pats cut Brandon Bolden last year and brought him back. They could do the same again.

Wide receiver

Chris Hogan; Phillip Dorsett; Cordarrelle Patterson; Riley McCarron

The Patriots are light in this position due to Julian Edelman’s suspension. McCarron had some playing time with the first-team offense. He could help in the slot and as a returner. Braxton Berrios didn’t do enough this summer due to injury, but could find his way onto the practice squad.

Tight end

Rob Gronkowski; Dwayne Allen; Jacob Hollister; James Develin

Rookie Ryan Izzo looked like a solid blocker in the first preseason game, but an injury set him back. The Patriots could save $5 million by cutting Allen, but who will fill in as an extra blocking tight end?

Davis spent a lot of time with the first-team defense this summer. He’s one of the biggest surprises of training camp. Eric Lee had some good moments last year, but didn’t really stick out in camp. Geneo Grissom has been cut before and it could happen again.

Defensive tackle

Danny Shelton; Malcom Brown; Lawrence Guy; Adam Butler

The Pats have depth here and if they want to trade a veteran, Brown could be a potential piece. Vincent Valentine, a 2016 third-rounder, looked good last summer before an injury set him back. Unless the Pats trade or release a veteran, it’ll be tough for him to make the roster.

Marquis Flowers is a tough cut. He’s a core special teamer and had 2½ sacks last year. The emergence of Bentley, however, changes things. Grigsby was getting reps with the starters over Flowers in Carolina. Flowers, meanwhile, played in the fourth quarter.

This is the hardest position group to figure out. Jason McCourty is an outstanding teammate, but where does he fit in? He won’t be starting and doesn’t have the potential of Crossen or Jackson. The Pats are even trying him at safety to find a spot for him. The Pats could release him and sign him later to lower his cap hit. Cyrus Jones makes the roster in order to help out the return unit.

If the Pats really want to keep Jason McCourty, they could release Richards. Richards, however, is the only true backup strong safety on the team. The Pats are also set with Devin McCourty, Harmon and Chung here.

It was thought Corey Bojorquez would push Allen for the punting job. But he hasn't had a single punt in the first three preseason games. Are the Pats trying to hide him in order to get him on the practice squad? It looks like that’s a possibility with Allen heading to free agency in the offseason.

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